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Peter Follansbee is going to be making this box soon. I thought I might beat him to it, but he's much faster at this stuff. Plus the board I need for the top is still a log,

I went to take the photos back in March, and meant to send them to him then, but time slipped away. Anyway, he's got a whole load of pictures winging their way across the Atlantic as I write. Happy carving Peter. I think he's using white oak. When I make it, it will be from this English oak, that rolled in recently.

The box is lovely Exeter strapwork. Our favourite.

At once simple, but complex.

I made a new shooting boards for primarily for shooting edges of boards. There ‘s no specific length, they can be as long or as short as your work dictates. I go over some important on how to make it and how it’s supposed to be used.

a few ideas

I've been thinking about how to make this cabinet. I don't have any plans, just a pic of the original banging around in the brain bucket. I've been thinking about this for a few days and I'm starting with the sides and back first. These aren't carved in stone so they might change here and there as I progress but I like this so far.

Still mulling over how to attach the top and bottom. Dovetails are out so that leaves a rabbet joint, biscuits, dowels, or simply nailing the top and bottom on. As for the last one I can see doing that for the bottom but for the top it won't look good. Plenty of time to sort that out.

too snug

The lids fit and I can remove and insert them ok but I am not sure that young kids have the finger strength to do that. Let alone have the patience to attempt doing it. Time to shave the ends with the LN 601/2.

done

Took a few plane and check before the fit was sufficiently loose. I don't think the grandsons will have any problems opening/closing these now.

too loose

This is the famous big box store 1/4" plywood (always less than a 1/4") that is too loose in a 1/4" groove. It is not terribly sloppy loose but it also isn't self supporting. I plowed this groove with an iron I had made for me that is undersized. In a 1/4" groove (true 1/4" wide) this plywood is a sloppy fit.

 

6mm plywood

The groove is a true 1/4" wide and the 6mm doesn't fit. I can thump on it and get it to seat in the groove and I can also see the groove side walls move in protest. I could sand/plane this and get a snug fit if I had to.

6mm fits

I planed the edges with two shallow runs and it fit. Self supporting but just a wee bit too snug. It would be a PITA fighting this to seat in the groove during glue up. I want a snug but a slip fit also.

LV plow plane

I have a 6mm iron and the fit is tight. I could get it seated but at the risk of snapping off a groove wall. A quick sand with 120 and I got a slip fit that was also self supporting.

I was thinking of using solid wood panels but I like plywood better. I don't have to worry about panels expanding and contracting with it. I am going to use 6mm Birch plywood from Woodcraft. I can order a 30"x24" piece for about $40 delivered. Or I can drive to Walpole and buy it direct. That outcome depends upon how impatient I get.

6mm groove, 6mm plywood

I am planning on painting this cabinet so plywood is a good choice. Next headache is how to join the stiles and rails. That determines how the groove for the plywood panels will be done. Self supporting and kind of easily fitted to the groove. I should be ok inserting the panels during glue up without wanting to give anything free flying lessons.

With mortise and tenon joints I can plow straight through both the stiles and rails. If I use dowels or splines, I can't do that. I'm leaning towards dowels but I am banging around ideas in the brain buckets for how to plow the grooves.

first change

The overall height of the cabinet minus the base will be about 53". I can't buy a 4x8 foot panel of 6mm plywood. If I add a couple of rails towards the top I can do. Woodcraft sells 6mm in 30x24 inches panels. I like this look even more than just having the lone center stile. This gives it more a craftsman flavor/look.

ouch

Got my 7 Stanley posters from the Frame It shop. Each one is matted, mounted, and behind conservation glass. A wee bit expensive at roughly $70 each. Sure glad I had the $$$ set aside for it although I had only budgeted $60 per frame.

Don't know where these will go. I don't see any where in the shop to hang them. I could hang them in the boneyard but I would rather have them in shop so I can see them. Another project that will can wait.

exit end

Switching back to maybe using solid wood panels. My panel raising plane makes a profile that I like but it doesn't have a depth stop. It will bottom out but it will also keep on making shavings depending upon its attitude. I thought I was doing good developing this profile but the tongue ended up too thin.

entry end - 3rd try

The entry end is ok but not as snug of a fit as I would like. This is a classic headache for me with wooden profiling planes. I  tend to be a bit heavy handed on the exit end of the planing run (tapered). It is just a matter of practice and time to master this and get a flat even profile from entry to exit end. I had this problem when I started using rabbeting planes. It took a while but I eventually mastered them. The downside is there is a lot of wasted scrap wood practicing. 

yikes

This is how much of a heavy hand on the exit of the plane run I did. I don't know of anyway to correct this because there is no more wood to remove to fix it. This effectively killed raised panels for the cabinet. I have two other panel raising planes that I don't have this problem with. However, the size of the field (the slope) is only 1" for one and 1 1/8" for the other. Both are too small IMO for this cabinet.

see the line?

To the left of it is what I shaved and it shows. I got one coat of shellac already on it and it still popped. It is going to take 3 or more coats to cover it. On the plus side the lid still slid in/out easily with two coats of shellac.

dowel experiment

The outside stiles and top rails are 3" wide. The center stile and inside rails will be 2 to 2 1/2" wide. I like the fact that I can get four dowels at each joint. That will make it stronger with more dowels. Using wide stile and rails because the sides and back need to strong/stiff enough to hang the door from them.

dowel spacing

The two end dowels are slightly off - the top has a bit more real estate. As long as I pay attention to my mating faces I should be ok with this. This is something that usually bites me on the arse and draws blood.

my new back door

I like the look of this divided light. I am thinking of using this for the divided light door on the cabinet. The opposite side is the same. I'm not sure that I'll be able to do that though. The cabinet door is 3/4" thick and my back door is 1 3/8" thick.

accidental woodworker

This is probably the piece I’m most proud of.
Everything about it is honest and natural. The black comes from milk paint. The finish is nothing more than natural oils and beeswax, rubbed in by hand.
Every part of it was shaped by a real person, not a machine.
Even the camera couldn’t capture its true beauty.

In today’s world, how often do you come across something made slowly, by hand, with love?

This isn’t just an object. It’s a piece of my time, my care, my soul.
It’s priceless. The kind of thing you give to someone you love, someone priceless to you.

Because that’s what gives it meaning.
Love. Without that, it’s just wood.

 I got these two done right on time. My wife is going to North Carolina next week and she'll give them to the grandsons then. Wonder if kids in school even use pencils anymore? I found out that they don't teach how to write in cursive. When I went to elementary school my class year was the last one to learn cursive with ink and a pen. 

got two on before lunch

Before I got to the shop today I made a road to Whole Foods to return a cell phone holder to Amazon. I had bought one for a iPhone SE but the phone was 2" longer than the holder. I ordered an iPhone 16 holder after comparing my phone to my wife's. Height and width were the same but the thickness wasn't. My wife's phone is slightly thicker. 

That experience went well after I got help doing it. The check in counter said that it wasn't open until 0900. The lady working the self check out area helped me send it back anyway. There was an automated self help way to log it in and send it off. She saved from me having to make a return trip because I didn't see the automated option.

hmm..... (2nd big japanese toolbox)

 I had to use a hammer to get the lid open. The width was good but the ends were the headaches. The left end was a bit too snug and slid in ok but didn't like reversing itself.

done

The LN 60 1/2 worked a charm shaving both ends. It took 6 tries before the lid closed and opened easily. The lid also fit in either orientation. I had to plane a slight taper on the sliding lock batten so it cleared the side when pushed into place. Shaving the end dropped it a few frog hairs below the top edge of the side.

hmm......

I checked the outside and inside for square with each one of these. Surprised to find that all read square no matter where I checked. I did the drill again with Mr Starrett and confirmed the same as the wooden ones. However, the wooden squares were still slightly off 90 when checked with Mr Starrett. I don't understand it and it doesn't change my mind on favoring metal squares.

got 3 on

I didn't feel or see a difference in brushing this new batch of shellac on (mix with denatured alcohol vice Everclear). The build is different but that is because I mixed a 2 1/2 lb cut instead of my usual 1 1/2 lb cut. I will try to get the 4th and final coat on tonight after dinner. I want to give the shellac as much time to set up and harden as possible before they travel south.

it is mine

Decided to keep this one for myself. I already have the wooden squares in it and I'll put any other no home tools in it too. The first toolbox I made in this style I gave to my sister Donna for her husband. I told her if she doesn't want it to give to her son Sam. This box will reside in the boneyard.

accidental woodworker

Here is how you can reduce the cost for a sharpening system that works very efficiently. I described the system in posts on 7/10/25 and 7/17/25. First, let us look at the machine. My Tormek is more than 20 years old, with a 10” wheel. It cost too much but not nearly today’s approximately $1000 for […]

Hey folks!

I received a letter from Mike in Washington and thought I’d share. He was looking for a pdf. for my Cabinetmaker’s Toolchest project and mentioned he had recently finished making a Funeral Chair following the plans in my book, The Unplugged Woodshop.

Mike used some cherry and red oak with a bit of beech for his project.

I think it turned out great.

Thanks again for sharing this with us!

The post A Funeral Chair in Washington appeared first on The Unplugged Woodshop.

new pencil box lid

A wee bit too long and too fat on the width. Still a bit apprehensive about the length but not the width. That I planed until I was happy with the wiggle room.

hmm.....

I have seen several makers of japanese boxes that used this method of battens on the lids. It doesn't lock the lid it just secures it.

finally done

These lids are continuing to bite me on the arse. It took me 3 tries before I got this fitted. Sigh. It was obvious to me that the more I make of these it ain't getting any easier.

figured it out????

You would think having to deal with only 2 fixed battens it would be a no brainer. But I think I might finally understand this. On one end of the lid the fixed batten is short about a 1/4". It is the second one that determines the outcome. I think I've been placing the fixed batten (or the sliding battens) too close to the other end.

With this lid batten method, the 2nd lid batten doesn't butt up against top box batten when it is closed. It was then it dawned on me - I could put the 2nd batten almost anywhere on the lid. Ta Da.....

a fortunate me-steak

The bottom box was first and the top one second. It was on the 2nd one that on put the 2nd batten on the wrong side of the layout line. This mistake made the placement of the 2nd batten instantly clear. Dare I say that I think I'm finally over the hump on where to place it?

nope

Pencils fit in the box but not dropping in directly between the battens. If I had made the sides longer it would have made the interior length too big. The pencils fit diagonally with space to spare.

worked  well

I used extra long cocktail toothpicks and a #49 number drill. Picked these because they were round and the others were flat. I put three toothpick nails in each top box batten. None on the bottom - I'm going with just the glue bond.

the layout

I'm glad I noticed this - the blade guard extends into the bottom and would hit the batteries. I wanted to push them up tight against the back wall but that isn't happening now.

done

I wanted to put a charger in here but there wasn't enough room . The depth was ok but I couldn't get it and the batteries in the bottom. I picked the box up after it was packed and carried it out to the truck and back down to the shop. The blade and batteries stayed home. I'll have to get by with taking two fully charged batteries to wherever this gets taken.

impatient

I went to the package store but they didn't have any large bottles of Everclear. Being impatient and needing a fresh batch of shellac, I'm using this alcohol. This is what I used to use to mix shellac before I got hung up on water content. Thinking about that I wonder what 'alcohol' the old masters used? Rum, wine, or some other distilled spirit? From reading recipes from the 17th/18th century they say to mix in spirits. I haven't read anything indicating the old masters were concerned with water in the spirits. I needed a new batch of shellac to apply to the grandson's pencil boxes.

curiosity

This is shellac is a dark brown with some red. I'm curious as to what it would look like applied to pine. Would it look like a dye? I'm about to find out. I'll have to make a road trip to the paint store and buy some empty quart cans.

another curiosity

I've had this button lac for 5 years? Bought it and the Maroon shellac above as a sample. Both of these are meant to be used with mahogany, walnut, or cherry but I'm going to try both on pine to see what 'dye' properties they have.

toast

The drawer where I stow my shellac had these squares in it. I checked everyone of them with the Starrett and all were off square. I know when I made them they were dead nuts on but over time they have drifted off into La La Land. It is because of this that I don't use them. I don't want to be bothered to stop and check that it is square before using them. So far none my metal ones have drifted in the least. However, I don't check these before use, I ass-u-me they maintain square.

accidental woodworker 

Making drawers utterly by hand takes mastery, there is no doubt in my mind. Establishing patterns early on in your making strategies ensures speed and accuracy. For my drawers, I needed 5/8″ stock but could only buy in 3/4″ material preplaned. But preplaned did not mean trued, square, uncupped and untwisted. It simply means that...

Source

Here are three tools worth having. 1. Mortise Master is a cleverly designed way to use your plunge router to make loose tenon mortises. In other words, you simply make a mortise in both wood parts and then add a separate tenon to fit them together. Does this mean that it will not be a […]

found it

There is enough for two lids from the 1/4" poplar board. I also ripped out a couple of 1 inch wide boards for battens.

what do you call this?

This thin piece of pine is necessary to strengthen this bottom spot. Reinforcing block? Bottom batten? Push comes to shove it really doesn't matter.

done

Three coats of tung oil and one coat of hard wax. A second coat of wax wasn't needed. This box will live in a drawer until I remember I have a set of these.

done

I still can't see evidence of a finish on this pencil box. Maybe the ingredients have soured or separated over the years that they sat hanging out unused. That might have something to do how the application looks.

hmm.....modification time

I was planning to store a spare blade in the top inside of the lid but nixed that. I couldn't resolve how to do it. So I switched to sawing the bottom off. I should have done this when I first made this box.

not easy

The block of wood on the back along with the handles and hinges made sawing the lid off a ROYAL PITA. I managed but it was awkward and ate up a lot of extra calories.

not through yet

Sawing the ends was the hardest with the back being the easiest.

broke off

This corner looks ugly and it was the place I started at. I broke off a wedge trying to keep the kerf open so I could saw it.

small rip panel saw

It didn't occur to me here why the rip carcass saw still hadn't sawn all the way through. It was only on the corners that I had sawn through with it.

finally

I had forgotten about these and I had sawn through a few nails too.

#6

Knocked down the proud with my #6 that has a cambered iron.

isn't pretty looking

It is flat to the eye and I did the same for the bottom. But I didn't have to use the #6 on that one.

got most of it

I wasn't able to remove all of the wandering, errant saw cuts but most of them.

wow

This is not what I was expecting. The fit is almost seamless. I thought the amount of wood I removed with the #6 would have left a few gaps and rocking.

some twist

I thought about leaving this as is but changed my mind. Wasn't sure in my mind if the hinges would work properly with the twist. Besides removing it would further smooth out the mating surfaces.

still fits

I checked to make sure that the saw would still fit. The saw plate still was laying flat on the platform.

done

I am so happy with how this came out and how it looks. The joint line looks consistent 360 - not seamless but no ugly gaps neither.

lots of room

Still kicking myself in the arse that I didn't do this from the git go.

almost done

I have a few ideas for storing saw blades and batteries. Since this the bottom I don't see any need to secure either of these down with any kind of restraints. I'll found out in the AM how well the idea is.

cooking away

Got the bottom and handles glued and cooked. I will let the box top end battens stayed clamped until tomorrow. I'm still thinking of relying on glue to keep everything together. But on the other hand I have been running using toothpicks as nails through the brain bucket.

accidental woodworker

A couple tasks remained before applying shellac.

I added two rails below the lowest shelf. These were cut to fit, glued on three sides, and clamped. After sitting overnight I drilled pilot holes and fastened nails.

glued, clamed, then nailed

I planed the front and back edges of the shelves so they would be flush with the sides. Having to plane these edges after assembly was the main reason I didn't pre-finish everything.

I cleaned up the glue residue with hot water and a toothbrush.

glue squeeze out

Earlier I moved the upper rail back so it wouldn't show. That led to those nails being off center. If it wasn't for that rail and those nails, there wouldn't be a clear front or back side.

front and side view

I sprayed zinsser sealcoat shellac, about 4-5 coats on the shelves and a little more on the outside uprights.

back and side view

When I planned the dimensions I wanted the top shelf to be big enough to hold a laptop. And I wanted that top shelf to be about 30" off the floor. That way we could put the stand near the kitchen table and watch something on the laptop while doing a puzzle.

The height is 37". The width is 18". The depth is 10" at the floor, narrowing to 9" at the top. The shelf spacings are 14", 10.5", and 7".

front view

Previous posts in this series:

• Shamrock Magazine Stand 1
• Shamrock Magazine Stand 2

The last piece of the loom project has been made. Now its just a matter of applying finish. The last few weeks have been hard on the loom project. First I spent time sizing a thin piece of stock for the comb, only to realise the grain direction was all wrong. The widest piece of Purpleheart I had left was only 2 inches. So I had to order a new board and wait for it.

 Two years ago, I started rebuilding our old greenhouse into what will eventually become the new leather workshop. 
We haven't used the greenhouse for a couple of years, and it had started to look kind of shabby. By rebuilding it, I could make something that looked nice, and I would end up with a dedicated workshop for my leather sewing and horse blanket repair tasks. It will give me a place to put my leather sewing machines, and thus free up some space in the regular workshop. And frankly sewing machines are better kept in places that are not filled with sawdust.

Back when I built the greenhouse, I overbuilt the rafters (and pretty much everything else), but that meant that it was just a matter of removing the glass from the roof, and install laths and clay tiles. The tiles are those old ones from our house that I still had some left of.

The windows that I am making at the moment will replace the original ones in the brick wall. Originally the house was built as a retirement home in 1948. It was converted to a machinery shed sometime in the late 50'ies or early 60'ies. I incorporated the northern wall in the greenhouse, and now in the leather workshop.

I am making the windows as a mixture of traditional and modern. The traditional part is that I am dovetailing the corners, and the modern part is that I install the glass using wooden strips and modern sealer tape instead of glaziers putty. 

When I make large dovetails, I use the (for Denmark) traditional rule of 1:6 slope in softwood. That gives a visually pleasing dovetail that works well even in 2" thick material. If I had used the 14 degree version, the dovetails look weird due to the thickness of the wood.

The first window is roughly 48" x 40", the second window is 48" x 64". 
64" is difficult for me to make dovetails on the ends of. So I had to make a small step up, just to get me a bit higher up, but still sawing in a weird position isn't super easy. 
Anyway, it ended up looking pretty good, and it is for a window that will be installed, so the next person to see the outside of the frame will be the one who removes it sometime in the future, and I doubt that it will be me :-)

Traditionally the reveal around a window frame was filled with regular mortar like what you would use for laying bricks. In order to maintain tradition in that point, I also made a V groove all around the frame. This is so the mortar will have something extra to adhere to, and also to prevent a draft of cold air to seep by if the window frame shrinks in very dry winters.

2 coats of tung oil

I am not impressed with this finish. I think I'm stuck in a rut with the sheen and build I get from shellac. I have done several projects with this tung oil and none so far come even within 25% of the look of shellac. 

For a quick finish this is adequate and I will stay the course on it. Two coats of hard wax will start tomorrow. After I'll call this done. I already found a hole to stick it in my chisel drawer.

mortise lock chisel

This is why I bought this chisel. It is impossible to get a bench chisel on this rail vertically. I have run into this very situation on a couple of the dressers I have made in the past few years. I've been waiting (and on the email list) for about that long too waiting for Lie Nielsen to make these again. 

why not?

I have had this oil for several years. I used it once and I wasn't impressed with it. In fact I was disappointed. My results weren't anywhere near what I had seen on the internet. But I'm going to try it again and see what happens this time. I have a gloss and clear satin and I am using the gloss on this pencil box.

nada

Again, absolutely no indication that a finish of any type had been applied. I was expecting a gloss shine to show up but it looks like bare wood. The can also states that this is a one application finish. Maybe this would be different on a hardwood. For the cost of this pint can (about $25?) my expectations were dashed straight into the shit can for the last time.

pencil box prepping

I thought about making the grandson's pencil boxes out of a hardwood like cherry or walnut but nixed it. I didn't want to wait for a thin wood (3/8") to come in. I'm too impatient to wait for that. Instead I'll use up the last of the pine I resawed in half a while ago.

two pencil boxes

Everything is sawn to length and width except for the top end battens along with the locking lid battens.

yikes....

I bought these in Jan of 2022 and they have been broken and jury rigged back together for about a year. I have another set on order and I should have them tomorrow. I duct taped it back together just in case I don't get them tomorrow. I'll keep these as back up if the new ones decide to go south on me.

sizing first

I got good results using superglue on the first pencil box and I'll wash, rinse, and repeat for box 2 and 3. I soaked the end grain first and let it set up 15 minutes.

glued and cooking

I paid better attention this time clamping the boxes. I made sure that I didn't glue them up twisted. I did this glue up on a piece of 1/2" thick plywood. I left this clamped until after I got back from the post lunch stroll.

sigh

I know how I made this me-steak. I ripped this on the width with the grain when I should have ripped them to width against the grain. I had enough 1/8" plywood to get two new bottoms.

The bottoms and the two top fixed battens go a long way to strengthen and hold the box together. I would never rely solely on a super glue joint no matter what type it is.

new bottoms cooking

I thinking of not using nails on these two boxes. The glue should be sufficient to hold/keep the box together. I did think of using tapered japanese wooden nails but the size I have (the smallest ones) are too big for the thickness of the stock I used.

missing one

As I was typing this I noticed that I am short two battens. Here I have the box top end battens along with the 2 sets of the locking battens. I am missing two of the fixed lid battens. Missing are the lids too because I don't know where I hid/put the 1/4" poplar.

hmm.....

Put on a second coat of the hard oil wax and I buffed it out. It didn't do diddly for improving the shine but it did smooth it out. The 2nd coat feels a bazillion percent smoother than the first coat did. Either way the wind continues to blow I'm calling the first pencil box fini.

accidental woodworker 

 It might be a wee bit premature, but I'm calling the box done. I got the first tung oil finish on at the end of the PM session. It is going to be a few more days and a few more applications of oil and wax before it is 100% done. Close enough and I won't bore you with that.

gluing the keepers

The two long ones first and then the short end ones. I didn't miter the corners - used snug fitting butt joints.

just enough

There is a papers width on each end. It takes a bit of attention to get them in and out but I'm ok with that.

perfect

I planed a small chamfer and then rounded it over with a 120 grit sanding stick. It made the joint line look dead nuts tight 360.

yellow glue

I thought of using hide glue to secure the block but decided to go with yellow glue. If this needs any repairs or replacement I'll make a new one.

hmm.....

This tung oil finish removes/dims pencil marks. I used a micro pen on a scrap of the same plywood I used for the bottom. I wiped on the finish and rubbed it hard. Nada. I went with it but with a pencil each application of the finish, erased a bit more. Not sure what the second application will do.

almost a gotcha

The love affair with this glue dispenser almost ended. The tip had clogged shut but it was easy peasy to open it. The glue hadn't dried rock hard and it came off with a paper towel. I had been wiping it after each use and I must of forgotten doing it one time.

first one

There will be at least two coats and maybe four of the tung oil. After that I will apply a couple coats of hard wax oil.

I saw a cabinet at my niece's house the picnic day. It was tall, rectangular, and had a divided light door - 9 panes of glass. Got no idea where or who will get it but I got an itch to make one. Looking forward especially to making the door.

accidental woodworker 

I came down with a cold this morning, so I’m watching videos. This one is pretty astounding: hewing and turning a huge shaft for a mill’s water-wheel (go here to watch the foresters fell the oak and the carters haul it to the mill with a pair of draft horses – also astounding).

Back at the mill, two carpenters arrive to make the log into a shaft. With the help of the millwright and his boy, they roll the log onto a hewing frame (thanks to YouTube for helping translate – a poor option, but better than nothing).

I admire the hewing in it’s accuracy.  I never did much of this work.  I enjoy it, but my elbows would be aching after a short stint.  I have no problem splitting logs with a sledge, but hewing is subtly different and I haven’t learned to use my body properly with it.  Youth is the right time to learn, when the body is flexible enough to forgive your transgressions.  Once your muscles have learned to do the work efficiently, and in a relaxed manner, you can often do heavy work like this into your old age (so long as you do it regularly). Beginning in middle age is not so easy (so I’m learning).  

The weather is so cold, they warm the hewing ax over the fire to prevent its edge chipping.

“Thank God” says the head carpenter after the last stroke of the hewing hatchet on the squared blank.  I understand.

Turning the shaft is amazing.  You’ll have to see it for yourself (18:00-minute mark).

They insert the bearing into the butt (root-end) of the log, which is harder and less crack-prone.  They shrink on iron bands, and then they are done (or at least the video is – attaching the wheel and mounting goes uncovered).

I’m trying to work out if they did all that work in one day.  I think it’s possible, but I really don’t know. Regardless, these two videos are some of the best I’ve seen. What do you think?

 

The post Monstrous Turning first appeared on Elia Bizzarri - Hand Tool Woodworking.

 I almost got the box for the mortise lock chisels completely done. What stopped that you are obviously asking, well I'll tell you. I spent a good chunk of today driving around my boyhood town with my sister. She is leaving to go back to Indiana on tuesday and today was the only day she had free for me. She has lots of other visiting on her to do list.

We visited all the places we were grew up and the schools we attended. Our elementary school has been converted into apartments. So much of this small sleepy town I knew is gone and it has exploded with growth. Neither of us recognized most of what we saw. Oh well, stercus acidit. 

We went to a clam shack on old US Route 1 that we used to go to as kids. Well over 50 years and it is still open. We both had fish 'n chips with clam chowder and a Del's lemonade for the ride home back to Norwich. A lot of fun catching up with my oldest sister.

done

I'm not thrilled with how thin the sliding lock batten is but the sun will still rise and set. I will be putting shellac on this but that will have to wait. I need to mix up a new batch of shellac but I don't have enough Everclear for that. This will have to wait a few before that event happens.

pencils fit

I have to insert the pencils at a diagonal, but they dropped in easily. I'll have time to decide whether or not to increase the length between the battens longer than a pencil is.

early shop time

 I knew I would only have about two hours shop time in the AM so I got busy. Making the box for the chisels out of 6mm plywood. 

yikes

The lead in for the shooting plane ripped off the dado wall. I was going to make a new one but nixed it.

fillers

On the one above I only put one filler in the exit side dado. That one survived but not its sibling. With fillers in both, no problems. Both dado walls remained intact with a zero amount of blowout. 

worth a shot

I glued the broken dado wall back in place with superglue. The bottom and top dadoes will get 1/8" plywood that will be glued in them further strengthening this superglued one.

insurance

Not only did I fill in both dadoes, I used a 1/4" thick piece of pine backing up against the front edge. It worked and the superglued broken piece held up to the stress of shooting a 45.

cooking

Met my goal of getting the box glued and cooking before I had to leave to pick up my sister. This was ready to play with when I got back to the barn.

one last thing

Whacked out something to hold the two chisels. I wanted to lay the chisels flat so nothing stuck up but I didn't like the thinness of the box nor the width. I am thrilled with having the business end sticking being a cut hazard but I made it work.

ready to separate

Back at the barn and unclamped the box. Good connection on the miters (no gaps) and the corners were dead nuts square.

hmm.....

Thought I would try to separate the lid on the bandsaw. The blade is new and sharp and it is something I haven't done yet. I can't recall ever trying this on a bandsaw.

sigh.....

The cut was clean but it was also slightly tapered. It isn't much but I wasn't expecting one. 

it fits

I planed the lid and bottom until the taper pencil lines were gone. After that I refined the flatness and fit on a sheet of 60 grit sandpaper.

one more run

Noticed a wee bit of a hump in the middle of one long side. Sanded it until that hiccup disappeared. Happier with the fit this time around - and I eyeballed it and double, triple checked it twice.

got lucky

The plan was to use keepers to fit the lid on and I got lucky. There isn't a ton of a wiggle room for the chisels to fit. I can take them out and put them back in easily. It would be better is there was more clearance but this will work. It is only the keepers on the short ends that I needed to get lucky with.

finger recesses

 I don't want to take out and put these back in place by the business ends. Removed the center and chiseled two finger recesses. Plenty of room to grab the chisels.

done

I'm going with this. Sometimes later on I come up with a different way of doing things. I don't think I will with this one. I also don't anticipate using this that often for it to be a PITA.

keepers dry fitted

Made them a few frog hairs higher then the chisel ends. That should remove any blood letting hiccups.

almost at the finish line

A quick and easy box in a day. If I hadn't spent most of the day with Donna this might have been done with the exception of the shellac finish. Maybe tomorrow I'll put a check mark in the done column.

accidental woodworker

As much as I enjoy browsing yootoob, I am often perplexed about some of the things that do (or do not) show up in my recommendations.  To be sure, I get videos reflecting my interests (I get a LOT of woodworking, homesteading, theology, economics content as you would expect from my subscription list and browsing history) but sometimes something shows up that has me scratching my head, either from relevance or timeliness.  This video is one of the latter.

Nine months ago while building the greenhouse I was frustrated by the uneven ground and its affect on my sawhorses, so I screwed two of them together at a right angle as I blogged here.  This video would have been helpful to view at that time but never showed up in my feed.  Until now.

Sigh.